arrange • compose • conduct
There’s only one type of musical ensemble I can think of that regularly stays stock still in performance. Not jazz bands. Not rock bands. Certainly not K-Pop or other Boy Bands. Not Gospel, acapop, Barbershop, or vocal jazz groups. Even orchestras and concert bands are routinely moving in sync with […]
The other side of the concert. I spent Saturday feeling utterly wiped – to the point of taking a long nap, which I almost never do. It was only late in the day that I realized I was suffering from a concert “hangover.” Hadn’t had one in 15 months. The […]
I was part of my first live concert in 15 months today. The first concert after the long quiet. The last time I went that long between musical performances, I was a toddler. Thank you, Shades of Blue, for your yesness. For facing the many challenges of 2020 and 2021, […]
I’m excited that my first live concert in over a year is just one week away. With tremendous support from leadership at GRCC, and incredible work from Shades of Blue, I’m excited to present a concert of live jazz, out on the lawn behind the Music Center. We’ll present three […]
For the last three nights, I have sat in a darkened auditorium – masked, socially distanced, and fully vaccinated – and watched live theatre. The performers were masked too – masked as they sang, danced, tumbled, ran, and performed their hearts out. And I wept. I wept for the lost […]
Don’t outsource your rhythm: own it. Who might you outsource your rhythm to? A drummer. A fellow ensemble member. A conductor. The only outsourcing that’s worthwhile is a metronome in the practice room. And even then, you should still be engaging actively with the rhythm, so that when the metronome […]
One of my favorite expressions is “Be proud but never satisfied.” Indeed, it’s imprinted in my musical DNA from frequent repetition. It’s a perfect description of the balance between satisfaction in a job well done and hunger for further growth. But in my experience, the expression needs to be inverted. […]
The thing I can’t wait to get back to is listening together. We listen alone a lot in 2021. Headphones of our own podcasts or playlists are placing sound into our own ears. The person next to us is listening to something different. (If there’s a person next to us…I […]
How does an audience’s knowledge of the piece you’ll be performing change your interpretation? If I’m conducting a new work, or a piece that I’m fairly certain most audience members are unfamiliar with, I’ll prepare it differently than if I’m preparing the US National Anthem or a Beatles song. (And […]
When you’re working with professionals, it’s evident almost immediately – and it makes your own performance, and your state of mind, so much better. I spent part of yesterday in a socially-distanced video shoot with several professionals from Grand Rapids Community College. Each other person there (someone from the charitable […]